What Did You Cook From Scratch Today - Feb

[khorrell]

Today, we had quesadillas filled with left-overs for lunch, and I've got a Cheeseburger Pie in the oven right now. Store bought tortillas and Jiffy baking mix are the cheating ingredients, but I'm OK with that.

[CheapCanuck]

Baron of Beef done in the crockpot. Tender as you can imagine, and the au jus is to die for!

[hermione]

For breakfast, I made a mushroom and onion omelet with sliced mushrooms and chopped onions. I'm the world's worst omelet maker, though, and the thing fell apart (we don't use teflon pans due to health concerns, so omelets are really hard to do right). But I smothered it in ketchup and it tasted just the same as it would have had it not fell apart... I think.

[rolltimer]

Recipe calls for:

• 6 medium potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and diced

• 2 onions, washed and chopped

• 1 carrot, washed, scrapped and sliced

• 1 stalk of celery, washed and sliced

• 4 cubes of chicken boullion

• 1 Tblsp dried parsley

• 2 Tblsp butter or margarine

• 4 cups water

• 1 can evaporated milk

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except milk in the order listed and place in 3 quart slowcooker or crockpot. Cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 10 to 12 hours on low. Stir in milk during last hour of cooking and turn cooker to high. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese and chives and a corn bread muffin on the side.

[redsoxmaniac]

Buffalo Chicken Fingers

1/4 -1/2 stick butter or margarine (melted)
1/2 Hot Sauce (I used Frank's)

bread crumbs (seasoned or use some italian seasoning) I sprinkled dry italian dressing mix on the chicken first)
cayenne pepper (add as much or little depending on your heat level!)

4-5 chicken fingers per person this was for 2 people but could easily be doubled without increasing the butter/hot sauce ratio

dip chicken in butter hot sauce, coat thoroughly with breading mixture

Sometimes I bake these in a 350-375 oven (time depends on thickness)

or if I am feeling like I need something fried, I will occasionally pan fry them in a little olive or canola oil in a heavy pan.

These are good with oven roasted fries. But I really love to use them atop a big salad with a few blue cheese sprinkles.

[dapooh1]

Minestrone Soup (based on a recipe on the side of a jar of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Stock)

1 to 2 cups of mixed dried beans (soak overnight)
2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 onion
1 16 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp dry garlic
1 tsp dry basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2 to 3 Tblsp Better Than Bouillon
3 cups water
1 cup small pasta

I felt full and satisfied when I was done with dinner.

[Milehimama]

I made tofu stir fry and the kids loved it - no leftovers! I've never made it before and was just winging it, so I'm glad it turned out.

1 lb. extra firm tofu
sesame oil
soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman, it's naturally brewed and does not have MSG)
1 med. onion, chopped.
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
a little ginger (I keep the root in my freezer and just grate off a little)
2 lbs. frozen vegetables/stir fry mix
Corn starch

Cut the tofu into small cubes (the size of your pinky nail). Sprinkle with sesame oil and soy sauce to marinate, set aside.

Thaw frozen veggies in microwave, then set in colander to drain extra water. Make sure you drain well!

Heat sesame oil in wok or large, deep skillet. Add onion, cook until it starts to become translucent. Add garlic, and ginger (husband doesn't like ginger, so I add just a pinch.) Cook until onions begin to turn golden and mix is fragrant.

Add tofu and more sesame oil if needed, to keep from sticking. Stir and cook until tofu starts to brown and is hot.

Add vegetables all at once. Sprinkle with soy sauce. Cook and stir, then sprinkle with about 2 tbl. of cornstarch. Mix and stir until hot and thickened.

I made this with fried rice and it fed 9 people (7 kids) so adjust amounts accordingly!

[hermione]

I just made a Yaki Soba, the Japanese equivalent of Chow Mein, with cabbage, onion and ramen noodles. This is one of our favorite easy meals which only takes about 5-10 minutes to make and costs less than $1.00 for 2 portions.

Here is a pic of the end result:


In case anyone is interested in it, I just wrote a blog entry with the recipe and more pics:
Fast & Frugal Recipe: Yaki Soba (Japanese Chow Mein)

[amandajane]

Looks great and I like the price!

I've been so slack recently, I did make lamb hotpot in the slow cooker today though, enough for two days and it would have cost me about $6 so all in all not bad :0)

[Megan]

I've been terrible about cooking from scratch recently. My monthly grocery budget is gone (which is more than fine - I have enough to get me through the week and then some), but I've already started a list of things I want to cook next weekend when the new budget starts. Planning ahead feels pretty good.